Meet the Specialists: Gan Edition

Hey there! I’m Kari Schulz and I am so excited to be Camp Galil’s gan (garden) specialist for this summer. I’ve just graduated from Goucher College outside of Baltimore, MD. 

This year, we have a great variety of plants that we’re growing in the gan. Tomatoes have started to appear, and we can expect to see peppers coming in shortly! This year we have also planted zucchini, cucumbers, melons, and basil. Some of the herbs from last year are still here, like lemon balm and mint. The new additions to the gan this year are sage and lavender. During avodah (work time), some of the chanichim got to plant carrot and radish seeds, which are really starting to sprout.

During the Sadna’ot (workshops) block, the Amelim and Chotrim have been working in the gan. We’ve turned trash into art, and discussed and visualized the interconnectedness of our food system. We've planted special seeds that will soon  be sprouting, and it may be possible to dig them up and give them to chanichim for their own ganim at home!

Also, we have two sheep with us this summer! Builder and Dreamer, who were also at Galil last summer, are lovely and loud, baa-ing for attention in the cutest possible way. The chanichim help to feed them each day, and have begun to develop relationships with both sheep.

It will be a pleasure to watch the kids grow alongside the plants this summer!

Kari with Builder and Dreamer

Fun in the Sun!

We had a ton of fun in today's hot weather! But first, let's talk about last night's time travel gone wrong...

On our way to a few hundred years into the future, we found ourselves in space at an Alien Zoo! The zoo was filled with exotic creatures -- aliens of all shapes and sizes. As it turns out, the most exciting exhibit was the human! It was great to see how unique everyone is, as aliens and as humans!

Bogrim Aliens!

This morning, the Amelim went on our low ropes course. They played team building games as they learned to support each other -- literally!

Amelim on the low ropes course

At sports today, we not only had runners, but the speediest jump ropers in all of Ottsville! The new trend is to combine running with jump roping, as you can see in the picture below. That takes quite a bit of coordination, I must say.

Extreme sports!

The sun was high in the sky and as temperatures rose, we jumped in the pool for a refreshing swim! Chanichim of all ages swam together and played guessing games. What a great way to counter the heat!

This evening, we had a discussion and tekes (ceremony) about 3 boys in Israel who were kidnapped 19 days ago. Yesterday, their bodies were found near Hevron, and the assumption from the Israeli Intelligence is that this was a terrorist act. The discussion occurred by age group and we had madrichim available for support afterwards. Following dinner, we had a meaningful ceremony in which we read poems and each shichva contributed thoughts, flowers, and love.

Madatz sharing thoughts at the tekes

Finding Beauty in Unexpected Places

Today, during sadnaot (workshops), the Chotrim talked about waste and garbage disposal. They sorted through a trashcan to see what was and wasn't a necessity, and what could have been recycled. The Chotrim shared ideas to make machaneh life more environmentally conscience. They then took the trash and made it into art, as a way of producing something beautiful with "trash" that would otherwise go into a landfill.

We are painting a mural this summer! The Bonim were the first group to work on it. They traced the design to be hung next to the water tower. The mural (which will be revealed at a later time) was inspired by the Peter, Paul, and Mary song "If I had a Hammer." 

During chugim (clubs), yoga did quite an intensive session! They worked on many different poses and tried to hold them in place for as long as they could. Yoga is harder than it seems!

Chanichim holding a tree pose

In the chadar ochel, Chug Frisbee ate latkes out of the frisbees! (Don't worry, they cleaned the discs first.) Their objective for the summer is to see how many frisbee-like things they can explore, and they seem to be off to a great start!

Chanichim eating latkes off (clean) frisbees  

Jumping with Joy

This morning the chanichim woke up in a winter wonderland. Instead of their madrichim, Elsa and Anna from Disney's Frozen had appeared. The chanichim were led to believe that today was Revo, and the Madatz had taken over for the day. To their surprise it was a fake Revo and was really kupa trip (field trip)!

Anna and Elsa

We all got onto the buses and were off to first session's kupa trip. The buses stopped at Pump It Up, an inflatable playground 25 minutes from Galil. While there we climbed through obstacle courses, and jumped in moon-bounces. 

The blue room at pump it up

After Pump It Up the trip continued to a nearby bowling alley where we took up more than 30 lanes. Our bowling ability was put to the test when we heard that only Amelim could use bumpers in their lanes. 

Bonim at bowling

Check back tomorrow to see what's next in Week 2 of camp!

Hanging Out in Hyde Park

Yesterday ended with a barbecue dinner in Hyde Park and then, we were given a "machaneh wide detention!" Detention consisted of chanichim running through an obstacle course on the kikar (open field). Luckily, we made it through and we were able to "go home" to relax with candy, pretzels, and music to dance to! 

Hanging out during the barbecue

Running through the obstacle course

The Amelim came back from tiyul this morning! While away, they went on two short hikes, swam in the creek, learned how to pitch their own tents, and gathered kindling for a fire. We're so glad they had so much fun!

Amelim before their first hike

This afternoon, we held our first Asefa Klalit (general meeting) of the summer, in Hyde Park. Asefa Klalit is a weekly forum where groups of chanichim make suggestions to improve machaneh. 

The Madatzim running Hyde Park

Tonight, the Bonim are hosting our first shabbat at machaneh. They will be singing songs in both English and Hebrew, as well as performing an Israeli dance for everyone. We can't wait to see their creativity!

New Ages and Stages

This morning the Bogrim began talking about how to give constructive feedback to each other. They are learning about taking on higher leadership positions and how to work together with their new responsibilities. These new responsibilities include Revo (a day when the Bogrim help the Madatz run programming), Bo-Coup (a themed half-day that is planned by the Bogrim), Bo-zman (an evening where the Bogrim plan the activities), and generally being an enthusiastic example for everyone else at machaneh. This is especially important since they now are the oldest chanichim and will need to plan activities for the younger shkavot throughout the summer.

Bogrim in their shetach (cabin area)

During lunch, we watched the US World Cup game against Germany in the chadar ochel (dining hall)! As we cleared our plates, we watched in anticipation. We sang and cheered as the US advanced to the next round of the World Cup. 

Soccer during sports hour

The radio chug votes on a new topic to cover every week. This week's theme is "new and old." They have been using this concept to interview people at Galil of all ages and stages about their experiences as new chanichim and as Galil veterans. 

Ross explaining how to use the equipment

During sports, frisbee took a pause from their usual game of Ultimate and worked on technique. They broke up into pairs and practiced the proper hand positioning for passing and catching. The Bogrim were especially helpful, pairing up with younger chanichim who had less experience playing ultimate frisbee. 

Bogrim show younger chanichim how to throw a frisbee

This afternoon, the Amelim left for tiyul. They hiked the Borochov trail, a path that goes through the woods around machaneh. They ventured to a camping ground we call the Shire, to make s'mores and sleep in tents! We will see them tomorrow with plenty of pictures and stories to share!

The Bogrim are Back!

Today the Bogrim returned from tiyul. They looked hot, sweaty, and happy as ever. They spent two days at Pine Grove Furnace State Park where they hiked, kayaked, and camped in tents.

This afternoon the Chotrim each painted tiles. Together the tiles spell out Chotrim, but each tile is unique to its artist and his/her own form of expression. The goal of this puela was to show each chanich how important he/she is as an individual within a larger collective.

The Chotrim decorating tiles

The Sayarim talked about collective responsibility. They also had a discussion about how they are going to distribute their kupa (communal candy). All the food and candy that chanichim bring to camp is collected and shared so the chanichim learn to value community from a young age.

The Amelim were spotted in the Gan planting various herb seeds. Their theme for the summer is based on a show called "Avatar: the Last Airbender." The show has characters, each of whom represents either earth, fire, water, or wind. The Amelim are making it their mission to master the elements, and decided to take on earth today. They will be able to watch the growth of the seeds they planted and experience what it is like to harvest their own product.

Kari (garden specialist) working with the Amelim

Chug (club) yoga/meditation did a guided imagery meditation today. They laid out in the shade as Noa described a peaceful place for them to envision themselves. In contrast, the workout chug worked hard doing crunches and laps around machaneh to build up their endurance levels. 

Noa reciting guided meditation

Once a week, we have a surprise movie night. We can't wait to see what movie we'll be screening tonight!